Display device



June 20, 1944.

E. W. ERICSON ET AL DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Jan. 29, 1943 mnnmmnmnclmpmnmmmm ,n im fw Q mma.. 2. mp@ ,m/

Patented June 20, 1944 2,352,087 DISPLAY DEVICE Elmer W. Ericson, Chicago, and Rudolph E.

Brauer, Riverside, lll., assignors to The Barrett Bindery Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application January 29, 1943, Serial No. 473,948

Claims.

This invention relates to display devices and has to do with a display panel simulating in appearance a shingle roof or analogous structure.

The present practice in selling roong is for the salemanrto be provided with panels or folders mounting several or more full size shingles such as are to be used for roofing. These panelsor folders are bulky and objectionably heavy, weighing from twenty-five to fifty pounds each, which renders it difficult for the salesman to carry these samples about with him. Further, if the shingles have a rough or granular surface, as is quite common, there is the risk that in displaying the shingles in the home of the prospective purchaser of roong, furniture and floors will be scratched. However, there is a further and more serious objection, in thatit is diicult for the prospective purchaser to visualize from such panels the actual appearance of a roof constructed from thev shingles of the samples submitted. The shingles as laid up in a complete roof may have quite a different appearance` than that visualized by the purchaser from the panels Submitted for his inspection, withthe result that the purchaser may be disappointed and dissatised with the appearance of the roof Ordinarily,

a roof is viewed from a distance so that the shingles of a shingle roof appear considerably small-,- er than their actual size. The result. of .thatis that the shingles are not seen individually, but blend together and the roof is viewed in its entirety, asa complete `unit or pattern, and it is thev appearance of that pattern as a whole which is depended upon to appeal to the eye of the observer. If, on the other hand, a shingle roof or analogous structure be viewed from a short distance, thev individual shingles or like elements of the structure are seenl as independent parts` of the structure, the compositepattern effect is de# stroyed and the roof has quite a different appearance from that which it presents when viewed from a distance, as is normally the case. Accordingly, in order to obtain the proper eiect and conveyto the observer the Vappearance of a proposed shingle roof` or analogous vstructure as laid up, in a display device which is to be viewed close up or `at a short distance, the shingles or analogous elements of that device should be smaller than the corresponding elements in the actual structure itself, preferably of a size approximating the apparent size of such elements when that structure is viewed from a distance. 1n that manner the patterneiect is.retained, and the prospective purchaser. vof shingles or analogous elements can obtainfrom such a display device a reliable indication of the appearanceof a roof or like structure laid up with full size shingles or analogous elements corresponding to those of the display device.

Our invention isv directed to the production of a display panel closely simulatingin appearance a complete Side of a roof or analogous structure as laid up lwith the Sample shingles or analogous elements submitted to the prospective purchaser. Such a panel could be constructed, intheory, by

' properly assembling and securing together mina'- ture Vshingles in overlapping relation as laid up` in the roof, but constructing a panel lin thatman ner would be time consuming and would render the cost of the panel objectionablyhigh. .More

` specifically, our invention is directed to appanel of Vthe character rst above stated in whichthe elements simulating the shingles are not disposed in overlapping relation but havevthelr end.v and lower edges exposed to view in. such manner as to simulate closely the exposed areas `ofthe shingles of 'a shingleroof. That renders it possible to DrOduce a' display panel .closely simulating'in miniature one side of a shingle roof' andwhich is of` light weight,voccupies comparatively little space and can be produced' at relatively'low cost. Further objects and advantages of oui-,invention will appear fromthe detail description.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevationalview, partly broken away and in section, fofv a, pair of opposed dies with the base memberfand `the facing member disposed therebetween in superposed'registering relation, with the dies closed and pressing the base member and the facing member together;

Figure-2 is a face View of, the panel produced by thepressing operation of Figurel, afterit has been trimmed; y A Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 3 3 of Figure 2,*on an venlargec'lscale; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 4 4 of Figure 2, on an enlargedscale.

The display panel of our4 invention comprises a base' member and a `facing`member, asv previously noted. The base member, indicated gen'-, erally by the referencenumber l5; is yformed from a rectangular Sheet of what is known as a double thick black .buckeye cover paper, or any other ysuitable material, which sheet is formed to desired shape by suitable embossing dies. vBase member I5 comprises a top strip i6, which is not embossed, and a-plurality of mounting elements I 1. When makingup a-display panelvof square tab shingles,f,he mounting elements I1 are rectangular in shape and are disposed in rows lengthwise of base member I5 with the elements of each row spaced apart at their ends by narrow grooves I8, provided by channel elements I9 offset rearwardly of member I5. The elements I1 of each row are staggered relative tothe elements of the next adjacent row, the upper edges of the elements I1 of the top row are at the lower edge of strip I6, the upper edges of the elements I1 of each of the other rows are respectively at the lower edges of the elements of the next superjacent row, and elements I1 extend downward and forward of base member |5. The mounting elements I1 correspond to the exposed areas of the shingles of asquaretab shingle roof and are of the same proportions as the exposed areas of the full sized shingles, accurately reproducing the exposed areas of the latter in miniature or on a reduced scale.A

The `base member I5 receives a facing member 20, .which may be formed of the same kind of material ras .base member I5 but preferably is somewhat heavier or thicker ,than the latter member. VThis facing member 20 comprises a fiat sheetof material 2| one face of whichv is provided, ,for the major portion` of its area, with ,acoating 22of agranular mineral material which maybe of any suitable or desired available color,

this coating. being applied in a known manner,

in the same manner asa granular coating is appled to asphalt shingles, or in any other suitable known manner. The particles or granules of coating. 22` are, ,of eourse,.much finer or smaller than thegranulesof the coating applied to a full size shingleand are so graded or of such .size thatcoating 22 closely simulates in appearance, inminiature, 'the finish ofthe full size shingles. .Coating 22 may terminate a short, distance from the upper edge of sheet 2|, leaving a ,top strip 23 of appreciable width which is uncoated.

'Ihemember 20 yis lthen cut, conveniently by means of .a suitable \die,to provide a plurality of rectangular` facingelements 24 arranged in rows lengthwise of sheet 2| and spaced apart at their ends Aby narrowspacing strips 25with the strips of` each row cutv at their upper endsand `connected at their lower ends to the facing elements of the next subjacent row, therebeing a coated area or strip 21 at the lower portion of top strip"23 which is uncut. The cutting edges of thedie-may be provided with nicks for leaving relatively narrow uncut strips connecting to- Agetherithe otherwise cut apart elements of the facing member 20, or the cutting die may be adjusted so as not to cut completely through member'2ll,v leaving approximately 10% of the thickness thereof uncut. Preferably, we use the latter method. That leaves the elements of the cut member 20 connected together by a thin layer of fibres of the paper, suiiciently strong to hold such elements together during subsequent handling of the cui-(facing member 20 but Yof .a character to be readily broken or torn apart when the elements of member 20 are relatively displaced under appreciable pressure. Facing member 20, thus cut, comprises facing elements 24 spaced apa-rt endwise by therestricted relatively narrow spacing strips 25, the; elements 24 and the spacing stripsg25 corresponding in shape and size and arrangement to the mounting elements I1 and grooves I8r of the base member I5 and being connected together by the relatively thin uncut portionsl of member 20, as above.

V'I-'he base member I 5, formed as above-disclosed, is placed upon the upper face of a supporting die :.base member I5 or the back of member 20, pref- .erably the latter, with a suitable adhesive.

After the 'members I5 and 2|) have thus been disposed insuperposed relation and in proper register,

ithey arespressedtighly together by means of an `upper -die 3| opposed to the lower die 30.

The pressing face of die 3| conforms substantially to the upper or forward face of base member I5, having elements corresponding to the mounting 4elements I1 and other elements corresponding to the grooves I8 and to the strips 25, `for displacing the latter rearward out of the plane of sheet 2| and Adepressing them into the grooves I8. As a result of this pressing operation, elements 24 of member 20 are separated from each other and from the upper ends vof spacing strips 25 and the base member I5 and the facing member 20 are secured together, by means of the-adhesive, with elements 24 seating flat uponelements I1 and the spacing strips 25 pressed into the groovesl I8 rearward beyond the facing elements 24 and exposing the side edges thereof. Since the facing elements 24 are secured fiat upon the mounting elements 1 and are inclined therewith downward andforward of the base member I5, the lower edges of elementsV 24, as well `as the side edges thereof, are exposed toview, the result being a panel which, in itsjnished and trimmedA condition shown in Figure 2, closely simulates in appearance a square tab shingle roof in miniature. The finished panel preferably retains the top strip23 of facing member 20 and the underlying top stripv I6 of base member I5, forconvenience in mounting the panel in a holder if desired, for which .purpose the panel may be provided, ad-T jacent its upperedge, witharow of Asuitably spaced openings 28. "The panel constructed' in this manner is of light weight, maybe produced at small cost and occupies but 'littlespace while presenting the appearance of one complete side of asquare tabshingled roof Yin miniature, suiiicientvto enable the prospective purchaser to visualize clearly theappearance of a roof constructed of shingles of full size represented by the elements of the panel and thus more quickly decide on thepurchase. y

"While we have referred to the facing member 20 as beingprovided with a coating-22 of granularmaterial, that is not essential to the broader concepts of our invention, which comprehends forming'the facing'member -20 of any suitable material presenting an exposed surface simulating the surface of the shingles which it is desired to sell,l which shingles may be formed of various materials and may vvary widely in appearance.

'We have illustratedv and'described'our invention asembodied inaY panel of squaretab shingles, by way of example. Shingles may vary widely in shape as well as `iniinish and color effect, as is well known. ',Our invention is well suited for producing-panels simulating` shingles of any desired shape or type andcomprisesthe broad principle of embossing Va base sheet or -member to provide-mounting elementsand'securing the shingle elements of the facingmem- ,ber on the mounting elements, the parts being so disposedand related lthat the appropriate edges of the shingle elements are exposed to view in a manner to produce the desired shingle effect.

It will be understood, from the above, that our invention is well suited for producing panels simulating various types of shingle roofing. Since'there is a large variety of shingles, it is neither vpracticable nor desirable-to attempt to illustrate and'describe in detail panels depicting each type. In that connection, it is thought that the detailed disclosure with respect to the panel ofFigure 2 will sufce, it being understood that panels'simulating other types of shingle roofs are made in the same manner, except that the ernboss'ment of the base member and the cutting of thel facing member are varied in detail to suit the"partic`ulartype of shingle roong which it is -desired to simulate. Briey, our invention comprises embossing a base member to provide it with a plurality of mounting elements disposed in kgenerally stepped relation, cutting a facing member to provide a plurality of facing elements of the desired size and shape, and securing the facing elements upon the outer faces of the mounting elements, producing the desired shingle effect.

n I'he base member may be embossed and the facing member mounted thereon in two separate operations, as above described, or in a single operation. In the latter case, the base member, inf its unembossed condition, and the facing member, appropriately marked or cut, are disposed ivn superposed relation and in proper register`,jwith "a lm of adhesive between them. They arethen placed between appropriate dies, which arefthen closed and serve to emboss the base member and to relatively displace and more or less separate the elements of the facing member so that the latter elements are mounted upon the`correspondingly embossed elements of the base member, in substantially the manner above described. The pressure exerted by the dies also serves to press the embossed elements of the base member and the elements of the facing member together, so that they are firmly secured together by the adhesive. In that manner, the embossing of the base member and the mounting thereon of the facing member is accomplished in a single operation. When doing that, the sheet of material for the base member preferably is somewhat thinner and softer, and the recesses and projections of the dies are of somewhat greater depth or height, than when the base member is embossed separately and the panel is formed in two operations in the manner previously described. With that explanation, Figure 1 may be taken as also illustrating how a panel embodying our invention is produced in a single operation, in the manner explained.

When the panel is produced in a single operation, a backing sheet may be applied to the panel, for imparting increased strength and rigidity thereto, by placing the backing sheet upon the exposed surface of the base member, with one or both of the opposed surfaces thereof coated with a suitable adhesive, and subjecting the assembly to pressure between the dies, suicient to emboss the backing sheet and press the embossments thereof rmly into the embossments of the backing member. In either case, that is, whether the panel is formed in two operations or in a single operation, one or more backing sheets may be applied to the panel, if desired, in the manner described or in any other suitable manner.

We have described our invention, by way of example, as applied to a panel 'simulating' a shingle roof, to which, in its more specific aspects, it is particularly suited. It is to be understood, however, that it is not limited in that respect. We contemplate, within the broader aspects of our invention, the production of panels or analogous structure simulating a shingle roof, siding, orany other structure of the same general character comprising shingles or other elements intended-to be arranged in more or less overlapping relation with edges thereof exposed to view. Accordingly, the term shingle as used herein is to be construed as meaning either a shingle, within the generally accepted meaning lof that term, or any other element intended to be associated with other like elements in moreV or less overlapping relation with edges thereof exposed.

As above indicated, and as will be understood by those skilled in the art, variations may be resorted to in carrying out our invention without departing from the field and scope thereof, and we intend to include all such variations, as fall within the scope of the appended claims, in Athis application in which the preferred forms only of our invention have been disclosed.

We claim:

l. A panel simulating in appearance a shingle roof in miniature, said panel comprising elements cut apart from each other and corresponding to and simulating the exposed areas of the vshingles of a shingle roof and arranged in substantially non-overlapping relation extending downward and forward of said panel with their side and lower cut edges'exposed to View.

2. A panel simulating in appearance a shingle roof in miniature, said panel comprising elements cut apart from each other and corresponding to and simulating the exposed areas of shingles of a shingle roof and arranged in substantially nonoverlapping relation with the lower ones of said elements respectively extending downward and forward of said panel from the lower edges of the next superjacent elements with theirk side and lower cut edges exposed to view.

3. A panel simulating in appearance a shingle roof in miniature, said panel comprising elements out apart from each other and corresponding to and simulating the exposed areas of shingles of a shingle roof and arranged in substantially edge-to-edge and non-overlapping relation extending downward and forward of said panel with their side and lower c-ut edges exposed to view.

4. A panel simulating in appearance a shingle roof in miniature, said panel comprising a base member formed toprovide mounting elements corresponding in shape and arrangement to the exposed areas of theshingles of a shingle roof and inclined generally downward and forward of said base member, and facing elements out apart from each other and corresponding in shape and size and arrangement to said mounting elements respectively secured on the outer faces of the latter and inclined generally downward and forward of said panel with their side and lower cut edges exposed to view.

5. A panel simulating in appearance a shingle roof in miniature, said panel comprising a base member formed to provide at mounting elements corresponding in shape and arrangement to the exposed areas of the shingles of a shingle roof with the lower ones of said elements respectively inclined generally downward and forward of said panel from the lower edges of the next superjacent elements, and facing elements cut apart from each other and corresponding in shape and sizev andarrangement to said mounting elementsrespectivelysecurediilat upon theV outer facesof f the latter and inclined therewith generally down- Ward and forward-of said panel with their side and lower cutedges exposed to view.

6.'A panelsimulating in appearance a shingle roofin miniature, saidy panel comprising a base member formed to provide flat mounting elements corresponding in shape and arrangement to the exposed areas of the shingles of a shingle roof with the lower'ones of said-'elements respectively inclined generally downward and forward of said panel from the lower edges of the next superjacent elements, and a facing member formed from a single piece `of material cut to provide facingelementscut apart from each other and corresponding in shape and size and arrangement tosaid mountingl elements respectively secured ilat upon the outer faces of the latterand inclined therewith generally downward and forward of said panel with their side and lower cut edges exposed to view.

7. A panel simulating in appearance a shingle roof in miniature, said panel comprising a base member of sheet material embossed to provide substantially rectangular mounting elements arranged in rows lengthwise of said base member with` the elements of each row staggered relative to the elements of the next adjacent row and the upper edges of the elements of each lower row at the lower edges of the elements of the next superjacent row, the elements of each row extending downward and forward of said base member and being spaced apart at their sides with groovesy therebetween, and a facing member formed from al single sheet of material cut to provide substantially rectangular facing elements cut apart fromy each other simulating shingles in appearance and corresponding in shape and size and arrangement to the forward faces of said mounting elements andnarrow spacing strips extending between the sides of the facing elements of the respective rows,. said facing elements being secured upon the forward faces of said mounting elements with their lower edges exposedtto View and said spacingstrips being pressed into said grooves exposing to view the sideedges of said facing elements. Y

8. A display device simulating in appearance a. structure comprising a plurality of elementsarranged in overlapping relation with areas and edges thereof exposed to view, said device comprising elements cut apart from each other and corresponding to the exposed areas of said elements of said structure in miniature arranged correspondingly to said areas but in substantially non-overlapping relation with their cut edges exposed to view.

9. A display device simulating in appearance a structure comprising a plurality of elements arranged in overlapping relation with areas and edges thereof exposed to view, said deviceV comprising a base member formed to provide elements extending therefrom at an inclination to the plane thereof, and facing elements out apart from each other and corresponding to the exposed areas of said elements of said structure in miniature arranged correspondingly to said areas and secured upon said elements of said base member in substantially non-.overlapping relation with their cut edges exposed to View.

10. A display device simulating in appearance a structure comprising a plurality of elements arranged in overlapping relation with areas `and edges thereof exposed to View, said device comprising a base member formed to provide elements extending therefrom at an inclination to the plane thereof, and a facing member formed from'a sinfgle piece of material cut to provide facing elements cut apart from each other and corresponding to the exposed areas of said elements. of said structure in miniature arranged correspondingly to said areas and secured upon said elements of said base member in substantially non-overlapping relation with their cut edges exposed to view.

ELMER W. ERICsON. RUDOLPH E. BRAUER. 

